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PESHAWAR, Nov 19: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday rejected both the Protection of Women’s Rights Bill and the Hasba Bill and said that both the bills had been adopted with ulterior motives; the former to divide opposition parties the latter to establish a parallel judicial system.

The Protection of Women’s Rights Bill, he said, had been passed to introduce a ‘made-in-Washington Islamic system in the country. It is also aimed at dividing the opposition parties. If a law related to women had been in place for more than 26 years, why it was not allowed to continu for one more year?” he said.

“We had never accepted the amended bill that had been passed by the National Assembly because it had not been endorsed by an elected parliament,” he said.

Referring to the Hasba Bill, he said that if the provincial MMA government was really interested in resolving public issues, it should have concentrated on strengthening the judicial system and reforming the police department, instead of passing a controversial law. He was speaking at the oath-taking ceremonies of the PTI’s youth wing and district Peshawar office-bearers.

Newly-nominated PTI district president Hamidul Haq, general secretary Mohammad Asif, Arif Yusuf and president of the party’s youth wing Tariq Meer and press secretary Jawad Ali Shah took oath on the occasion.

Imran Khan said that his party would mobilise people to stage anti-government protests, adding that a rally would be held in Kohat district on Nov 28. He said that it was clear now to everyone that President Musharraf would never leave power.

He urged the opposition parties to unite on a single-point agenda to make President Musharraf quit government and force him to hold free and fair elections through an independent election commission.He said that he would go to Britain soon to meet former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for launching a movement against the government.

Referring to his party’s position about the issue of resigning from parliament, he said that the opposition needed to take a decision to resign en bloc, adding that MMA’s resignations alone might not work.